The AI & Robotics Research Awards 2026 brings together the UK's most innovative researchers, industry leaders, and AI pioneers for an evening celebrating excellence at London's prestigious Church House Conference Centre. Hosted by Responsible AI UK, this invitation-only ceremony recognises groundbreaking achievements across research, industry collaboration, leadership, and community impact in artificial intelligence and robotics.
What Makes This Event Special
Now in its second year, these awards honour the researchers and organisations pushing boundaries in responsible AI development. Expect award presentations across six major categories, including Best Research Paper, Best Research Project for Impact and Research Excellence, Industry Collaboration, Community Award, and a Leadership Award. The 2026 shortlist features cutting-edge work from institutions including King's College London, Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, The Alan Turing Institute, University of Essex, University of Liverpool, and University of Exeter.
Evening Programme
The event runs from 16:00 to 21:15, beginning with registration and networking before the welcome remarks and keynote presentations at 17:00. Award presentations commence at 17:40 alongside a three-course dinner, giving attendees the chance to celebrate winners while enjoying fine dining in a formal setting (black tie optional).
Featured Projects & Research
This year's shortlist showcases diverse AI applications—from reinforcement learning for large-scale network control and conversational robots supporting dementia care, to sustainable robotic agriculture and AI systems for human rights assessment. Notable projects include King's College London's work on compressing Chain-of-Thought reasoning, Imperial's wellbeing robots, and the collaborative Project Bluebird between University of Exeter, NATS, and The Alan Turing Institute.
Who Should Attend
This ceremony attracts researchers, academics, industry professionals, and AI innovators committed to advancing responsible AI practices. The esteemed review panel includes Professor Alessandra Russo (Imperial College London), Professor David Lane (Heriot-Watt University), Professor Michael Wooldridge (University of Oxford), and other distinguished experts in computational logic, AI foundations, and digital intelligence.
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